The Los Angeles Clippers are still dealing with the fallout from a cap circumvention scandal that cost the franchise five first-round picks and $30 million, one of the harshest penalties the NBA has handed out. Kawhi Leonard, meanwhile, came through the mess with far lighter damage: a $700K fine and no major punishment beyond that.
Even with Leonard’s own trade to the Toronto Raptors still untouched, the deal has not been finalized, and that delay has fueled plenty of talk around the league. NBA insider Marc Stein reported that the Raptors are still expecting the move to go through after putting it on hold July 9 “to guard against a Leonard suspension or the outright voiding of his contract,” and he added that Leonard and his camp still believe the deal will be completed as planned.
But the wait has opened the door to a more pointed theory. Stein wrote: “Yet the delay has naturally led some league observers to wonder aloud whether the Clippers are holding off - or considering something even more drastic - to spite Leonard for so readily accepting the league’s punishment rather than invoking his right to pursue an appeal. Any formal appeal within the NBA’s auspices in such matters, remember, must be initiated by the player in question rather than the team according to league by-laws.”
That suspicion has plenty of fuel behind it. The Clippers already paid a steep price to build around Leonard, including the trade that sent future MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to Oklahoma City along with five first-round picks in the Paul George deal. By the source’s count, Leonard’s time has ultimately cost the franchise 10 first-round picks, not including SGA, and all of it came without a Finals appearance.
So when the NBA punished the Clippers for the cap circumvention case, there was at least an expectation that Leonard might stand with the team in some way. Instead, he accepted the league’s settlement quickly, leaving the Clippers without a meaningful way to push back.
For now, the front office is still deciding how to move forward, and the team says its suspensions are what’s slowing things down. Still, the longer the trade sits in limbo, the more the speculation grows. If the Raptors deal keeps dragging or gets scrapped altogether, it would leave Leonard in an awkward spot after already settling into his new city.
In Other News...
Kawhi Leonard Scandal Just Became A Serious Threat For The Clippers
Federal prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into allegations that the Clippers arranged secret sponsorship contracts for Kawhi Leonard in an effort to get around the NBA salary cap, turning a long-running controversy into something far more serious for the franchise. The probe is being run by the U.S. Attorneys Office in Brooklyn and is still in its early stages, but it already adds a federal layer to a matter that had previously lived in the realm of league scrutiny and public suspicion.
No charges have been filed, and the case is still unfolding, but the stakes are obvious for a Clippers organization that has spent years trying to build around Leonard as the centerpiece. The investigation is looking at possible violations of federal law, including fraud and tax-related offenses, which means the team is now facing questions that go well beyond basketball and into the kind of legal territory that can shadow a franchise for a long time. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers May Have An Unexpected Path To A Young Center
The Clippers have spent plenty of time hunting for frontcourt answers, and Jalen Duren is suddenly the kind of name worth keeping on the radar. The Pistons center is still working through restricted free agency, and his situation has the kind of timing that could matter in Los Angeles if the team is looking to reshape its roster around a younger big man.
Duren and Detroit have until Oct. 1 to work out a new deal, and the longer this drags, the more interesting it gets for teams with future flexibility. If the Pistons center winds up taking a short-term path instead, the door could open for him to hit the market in a way that lines up with the Clippers and whatever cap space they are able to create next summer. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Could Get Another Shot At A First Round Guard
The Clippers offseason guard watch could take an interesting turn if Memphis trims its roster the way it may have to. The Grizzlies have only 15 spots available and may be forced to waive four players, a crunch that has put several names in play, including Walter Clayton Jr., Jordan Hawkins, DAngelo Russell and Kris Murray. Clayton Jr. has already made a strong impression as a rookie, and Jake Fischer floated the idea that if he becomes available, Los Angeles should look into bringing him in on a training camp deal.
It would not be the first time the Clippers had a reason to circle Clayton Jr. as a target. He was a first-round pick in 2025, and the draft board had him on Los Angeles radar earlier than where he ultimately landed. If Memphis decides to move on from him, the Clippers could get another crack at a guard they once had their eye on, with the only real question being whether the opportunity reaches them in time. [Read more 🡒]